Decurling device for rolled copy paper in a copier



March 17, 1970 SHIGERU SUZUKI EIAL DECURLING DEVICE FOR ROLLED COPY PAPER IN A COPIER Filed Oct. 2, 1967 FIG. 3

FIG.

FIG.

United States Patent DECURLING DEVICE FOR ROLLED COPY PAPER IN A COPIER Shigeru Suzuki, Yokohama-shi, and Tadaaki Kanno, Tokyo, Japan, assignors to Kabnshiki Kaisha Ricoh, Tokyo, Japan Filed Oct. 2, 1967, Ser. No. 672,251

Claims priority, application Japan, Oct. 24, 1966,

41/ 98,466 Int. Cl. D21f 7/00, 7/04; D41f 13/54 US. Cl. 162-271 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A decurling device for rolled copy paper wherein a paper pressing roller which presses copy paper drawn from a copy paper roll against a decurling roller is journaled at a fixed location at a lower part of a paper mounting bracket, the paper pressing roller being separated from the decurling roller when the bracket is tilted downwardly to mount a roll of copy paper thereon, whereby difiiculty in the loading of the printing paper caused by the mounting of the decurling roller, which bends the path of the copy paper, is avoided.

This invention relates to a device for decurling copy paper drawn from a copy paper roll in a copier and to a device to cut the paper in designated lengths.

It is an object of this invention to provide a decurling device for rolled copy paper wherein a paper pressing roller, which presses the copy paper drawn from a copy paper roll against the decurling roller, is journaled at a fixed location at a lower part of a roller paper mounting bracket or cradle, said paper pressing roller being separated from the decurling roller when said bracket is inclined forward to mount the rolled copy paper thereon, and thereby difficulty in the loading of the copy paper caused by mounting the decurling roller which bends the path of the copy paper is avoided.

It is another object of this invention to decurl the curl caused in the copy paper roll to provide exposure to the copy paper while it is planar. Further, the paper pressing roller which cooperates with the decurling roller moves away from said decurling roller when mounting the copy paper. Therefore, the decurling device is so mounted that it causes no difliculty in setting the copy paper in the copier.

It is a further object of this invention to decurl the copy paper and keep it flat when projecting an image thereon, lest the image be distorted.

This invention is explained with reference to the drawings showing a preferred embodiment of this invention in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a decurling device for rolled p p p FIG. 2 is a side view of said decurling device wherein the rolled paper mounting bracket is inclined to the left; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating only the mounting bracket.

Reference number 1 denotes a base plate of the copier. 2 denotes a top plane. 3 denotes a cover which is freely removable from the side of the box type copier. 4 denotes a partition plate fixed to said base plate 1. On the right side of the partition plate 4, a well-known charging device and an exposure device may be provided in the case of an electrostatic copier, or an exposure device may be provided in the case of another copier.

A mounting bracket 6 for a copy paper roll 5 is mounted at a pair of side plates of the copier facing each other (not 3,501,375 Patented Mar. 17, 1970 shown in the figures) by means of a shaft 7 so that said bracket 6 may be freely moved up and down. Said mounting bracket 6 comprises a pair of side plates 6a and 6b and a guide plate 8 with said side plates 6a and 6b fixed onto both sides. A paper pressing roller 9 is journaled for rotation at a fixed location at a lower part of said bracket 6. Notches 10a and 10b at the upper ends of both side plates serve to mount a spindle 5a of the paper roll 5. On the side plate 6b a knob or handle 11 is provided. The mounting bracket 6, when placed at the stationary position shown in FIG. 1, is prevented from undergoing clockwise rotation around the shaft 7 by engagement of the side plate 6b against a stopper (not shown in the drawing).

In the FIG. 1, a roller 12 which is far smaller in diameter than a core 5b for the copy paper is provided near the paper pressing roller 9. The copy paper drawn from the paper roll moves while pressed against the circumference of the roller 12 by the pressing roller 9 and thereby the curl caused in the copy paper roll is removed.

Reference numbers 13 and 14 denote feed rollers which advance the copy paper forward. 16 denotes a release lever on which said feed roller 14 is journaled and the lower edge 16a is positioned above a projecting shaft 9a of the pressing roller 9. 15 denotes a shaft of the release lever 16. 17 denotes a fixed knife blade. 18 denotes a mOVable knife blade which cuts the copy paper drawn out of the copy paper roll in designated lengths, by cooperating with the fixed knife blade 17. 19 and 20 denote rollers which feed the copy paper through a slit 4a into the exposure device or the charging device.

When the copy paper roll 5 is replaced or when a new copy paper roll 5 is mounted, as indicated in FIG. 2, the mounting bracket 6 is rotated on the shaft 7 after removing the cover. When the mounting bracket 6 is rotated, the guide plate 8 is made horizontal and at the same time the paper pressing roller 9 moves obliquely upward away from the decurling roller 12, so that the copy paper 5a drawn out of the paper roll may be inserted straight into the gap between the feed rollers 13 and 14. Further, when the mounting bracket 6 is inclined to the mounting position as shown in FIG. 2, the lower edge 16a of the release lever 16 is pushed up by projecting shaft 9a and thereby the feed roller 14 is separated from the roller 13.

What is claimed is:

1. In a copier using a roll of copy paper mounted on a core: a device for decurling rolled copy paper comprising a paper mounting bracket movable between a mounting position in which a roll of paper can be mounted thereon and an operative position in which paper is drawn from the roll, a paper pressing roller journaled on said paper mounting bracket, and a decurling roller having a diameter smaller than that of the core of the copy paper roll; said paper pressing roller pressing copy paper drawn from the copy paper roll against said decurling roller so that said copy paper may be decurled, said paper pressing roller being separated from said decurling roller when said paper mounting bracket is moved to said mounting position.

2. A device for decurling roller copy paper as claimed in claim 1, wherein said paper pressing roller moves to an offset position, relative to the decurling roller, when the paper mounting bracket moves to the mounting position to define a path for insertion of the leading edge of the copy paper between the pressing and decurling rollers.

3. A device for decurling rolled copy paper as claimed in claim 1, comprising a guide plate on said bracket movable therewith to a position where the leading edge of the copy paper is guided by the guide plate for insertion between the pressing and decurling rollers.

4 4.1 A device for decurling rolled copynpaper as claimed References Cited in c aim 1, comprising a pair of feed ro ers adjacent said pressing and decurling rollers, and means for separating UNITED STATES PATENTS the feed rollers when the bracket is moved to said mount- 1,654,946 1/1928 smks 162271 ing position whereby the leading edge of the copy paper may be inserted easily between the feed rollers. 5 BENJAMIN BORCHELT Pnmary Exammer 5. A device for decurling rolled copy paper as claimed CHARLES T, JORDAN, Assistant E i in claim 1, comprising a fixed frame, said paper mounting bracket being pivotably supported from said fixed frame US. Cl. X.R.

for movement between the mounting and operative posi- 10 101-228 tions. 

